The all-female Big Band of Ada Leonard (see Part 1) was the best-known of around 100 “all-girl” Swing orchestras playing for the troops during WWII.
Bandleader Ada Leonard was a dancer, singer and show business professional who led the first all-female Swing orchestra touring Army training camps during WWII filling
Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan, 1915-59) continued a busy schedule of recordings, concerts, radio broadcasts, television appearances and international tours in the 1950s. Publication of her
Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan, 1915-1959) emerged as a fully formed artist in the 1940s, her voice was its richest and most expressive. She imparted unprecedented
Richard Hadlock of Berkeley, California was born in Schenectady, NY, spent his childhood in rural New England and his teenage years in Rio de Janeiro (his
For Jazz singer Billie Holiday the 1930s was a time of emergence. She was a little astonished to discover the effect her singing had. In
POLYMATH: a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning. Jazz trumpeter and bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton was an author, broadcaster, illustrator, composer and journalist. A popular radio
“This session is not simply a historical record. It’s the culmination of 14 years of gigs, tours, festivals, recording sessions and lots of rehearsal: spontaneous,
Also See: Buck Clayton’s Jazz World, Part One Jazz trumpeter Buck Clayton published a colorful and sincere autobiographical memoir thirty-five years ago. His literary voice is
The year 2021 marks 110 years since the birth of jazz trumpeter Buck Clayton, best known for his role in the classic early Count Basie
Read: Benny Goodman’s Kingdom of Swing, Pt 1: The Early Years In the late 1930s the Swing combos of Benny Goodman (1906-1986) created a game-changing small-band
Benny Goodman (1909-1986) did for clarinet what Louis Armstrong had done for the trumpet, gave it a virtuoso leadership role in the jazz ensemble. Benny’s
Stanley ‘Stan’ Montrose McDonald, Jr. (1935-2021) loved the music of Sidney Bechet, his wife Ellen, their historic semi-rural Massachusetts home and a hard-driving rhythm section
The monumental role of Eddie Durham (1906-1987) in the development of Swing has been hidden in the corners of Jazz history and mostly overlooked by
Fiddler Bobby Bruce lived one of the longest and most diverse professional music careers I’ve encountered, performing and arranging for seven decades in Vaudeville, Jazz,
Bunny Berigan is best remembered for his hit recording of “I Can’t Get Started” on which he played trumpet and sang. He was one of
Arranger, composer and multi-instrumentalist Spud Murphy wrote 600 charts for the top Swing orchestras of the 1930s, creating colorful and dynamic arrangements that shaped the
At the outset of the Swing era, Casa Loma Orchestra set the highest standards for superb musicianship, arranging, presentation, sweet ballads and hard-driving dance rhythms.
Jazz trombonist Bill Bardin played gutty two-beat Stomps, sophisticated four-beat Swing and lowdown Blues. His rich tone and tasteful instrumental voice made him a stalwart
Whether you love New Orleans tailgate trombone or sophisticated Swing, Bill Bardin (1924 – 2011) is your man for tasteful, expressive jazz trombone. He was second
The music, words and voice of William Christopher Handy (1873-1958) reveal his passion for Blues music and African American culture. He was one of the earliest gathering
Frank Big Boy Goudie (1899-1964) played only clarinet on the West Coast, his most personal voice emerging in an autumnal blossoming of his music. His
Creole multi-instrumentalist Frank “Big Boy” Goudie (1899-1964) spent six vibrant years blowing saxophone, trumpet and clarinet in Brazil and South America. Big Boy played Samba-swing,
Arthur Briggs (1901-1991) was considered the premier Jazz trumpet player of Europe between the two world wars. Living in France continuously after 1931, he deserved
